Growers Continue the Battle Against Citrus Greening

摘要

THE ASSESSMENT IS BLUNT, bordering on scary. "Citrus greening is basically on every farm in Florida. And it seems like it's going to be endemic, now," says Landon Bunderson, Chief Science Officer, Aqua-Yield. "It's just going to be there, and we're going to have to deal with it."Citrus greening has been around for about 100 years, but it's only been in Florida since about 2005. There is no cure for the disease, only treatments that slow the effects. Also known as Huanglong-bing (HLB) or yellow dragon disease, it is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama or ACP). The disease first appeared in Asia and more recently growers throughout the Americas and Africa have joined the battle. The psyllid was discovered in Florida in 1998, but confirmation of thefirst infection took seven years.